I absolutely luv horses!!! and ive rode them b4 but someone has always been holding the reins. so now im starting horse riding classes next week and im afraid when im near them. once im on their back im ok but im afraid they will kick me or something when im near.
thnx 4 your help!!!
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Hi ive been riding for eight years and its the most amazing thing u can do. when just starting out there are somethings to keep in mind to be prepared for ur first time. Ur instructor will be teaching u some ground lessons such as grooming the horse, the parts of the horse, parts of the saddle, tacking and untacking (putting the saddle on and taking it out) tack is the riding equipment used such as the saddle and bridle.. Ok so i wouldresearch a little about horse behavior. Horses do NOT want to hurt u ever, so dont ever think that a horse doesnt "like" u, bcuz horses dont work like that. Horses are all flight or fight, and they act out of their emotions. If a horse kicks out its most likely becuase of flies on their legs or something behind them scared them. Horses have blind spots and are nervous of anything approaching those areas. These areas where a horse cant see u are directly behind them, directly in front of them, under there muzzle and on their backs. If u need to get by a horse that is in front of u with thei behing facing u make soome noise like talking telling the horse that ur there and ur coming, then the horse wont be scared that ur coming becuz u warned him. Just learning to understand that horses act out of their emotions is enough to keep u confident around them. Also try looking up some of the behavioral habits of horses, depending on the horse, horses can get into different moods indicated by their emotions. For example when a horses ears are stright up and the neck is stiff and tall, the horse is alert and u should be careful not to scare him, or when a horses ears are up and forward and the neck in slightly lowered the horse is curious, do not appraoch a horse whose teeth are bared or looks ready to strike of course. KNowing the visual signs of the horses mood, being aware of their blind spots and their general habits will definately help u out and boost ur confdence. Remeber horses never want to hurt a human being! they act out of fear,or annoyance at flies or etc.. just be respectful of their emotions and ull be fine and have so much fun learning from them. Good Luck and have fun! being around horses will teach u a lot more than u think and some of these skills no matter what u do will help u out in ur future. I may be hard at first to grasp the diferent types of arts of riding and care of horses but with prcatice and time ull get it. Even im still learning after 8 years! u can never learn everything about horses because they all have their own personalities and that is what makes being around horses most rewarding, unlike those 9 -5 office jobs that arethe same everyday, horses will garentee u a lifetime of fun, learning and surprises. Have fun and dont be afraid to ask any questions to ur instructor. hope this helps!!
I suggest, that someone walks behind the bum… since you think its gonna kick… and then that will show you that that horse doesn’t kick… then maybe you could try it.
also, you should maybe lead a pony around or something small, so you can get confidence on the ground before conquering them on the back
just spend lots of time around gentle, kind, affectionate horses. Feed them treats, lead them around, and just generally spend lots of time with them. Have and experienced person with you to explain to you that everything is alright. I’m sure your fear will wear off when you find out just how loving they can be
if u are taking classes they wont make u go around dangerous horses these lesson horses and ponies are trained or know their job well they are not dangerous because they wouldnt put a student they are responsible for on or around a horse they dont think the rider is ready for
i once had a fear of horses once. but then i went to horse riding camp and learned to ride without someone holding the rains. go and enrole your self into medow lark stables if you live in canada, ontario, torronto. they are amazing trust me. i am going back this year again.
hope i could help
becky
Most horses won’t just kick you. They are really friendly creatures. I work with a morgan who will be 3 next month, and he’s not the type of horse you’d let just anyone work with. Although a lot of people don’t trust him, (he’s young and crazy) I can just go up, even on his bad side (he’s almost blind in his left eye) and lean on his butt. He’s fine with it. Most lesson horses are not going to kick. A barn could probably get in a lot of trouble if a horse kicked and injured someone. When you go around towards their butt, just give them a pat on their back end and talk to the horse to let him/her know that you’re there. Also you could watch the horse’s body language. Remember they don’t speak like us, they communicate through their body language. Watch their eys and ears especially. If the ears are up and the eyes are relaxed, the horse isn’t even thinking of kicking you. If the ears are bent back, but not pinned flat against their head, most likely they are just listening to you, and being aware of where you are. It’s when you see their eyes looking tense and their ears actually pinned back against their head, that’s when you might want to step aside, away from their hind end. The way horses see, if there head is facing forward, they can see to both sides at once, and forward, but they can’t see behind them unless they turn their head to one side or the other. Remember, it’s very rare for a horse, to actually want to harm you. They usually like the attention, of being groomed, and a lot of horses seem to enjoy being ridden. Unless you plan on working with a crazier young horse or a wild horse, or one that has been really abused, may be afraid of people and kick or bite out of fear, but not because they don’t like you. You should be fine. Working with horses is amazing! I love riding bareback, I feel way more connected to the horse that way, without a saddle separating us. I do more ground work with horses now, and the morgan I’m working with, I’m helping train. His owner introduces new things to him, then I help him learn it better, she’s teaching me how to work with and train younger horses.
Good luck! and I hope this helps! Have fun riding, it’s the most amazing feeling in the world! But also remember, groundwork is important too, so try not to just go and hop onto the horse, spend some time with them like grooming and leading them, it’ll help you feel more comfortable around horses too.
Just make sure you get the right horse. A calm older horse that takes care of beginners will boost your confidence and get you over all your fears. If you don’t feel comfortable with the horse you are given be sure to tell the instructor so they can get you a different horse.
As a beginner, you are bound to be afraid. It is just your instincts saying, "Big animal. Capable of hurting me. Stronger." You will get used to them, and be less afraid the more time you spend around them. After learning what makes horses angry, scared, or confused, you will be able to feel more safe around them because you know that you will not do anything stupid.
well if you walk near the horse talk to th ehorse so it knows its behind you. and when you are standing close enough to touch it touuch its back or side and talk to it. lust lett the horse know you are there
Try reading up on horse’s communication. If their ears are pinned back, they’re aggravated and may potentially kick/bite/etc. Watch others and see how they interact when holding/leading/grooming a horse.
Things get a lot different once you get a hold of the reins. You can’t be afraid to remind the horse who is boss. Even now my mare still has problems when I ask her to turn away from the track/following other horses. Be firm. You are in charge and you can change the situation always.
bless you,,it will get better its about building your confidence up with them,,it will take time,,you do right to worry if i horse you don’t know may kick you,,it may,,,do you know anyone that has a quiet horse/pony that you could go spend time with grooming etc,,it will all boost you,,i am always cautious when approaching a horse i don’t know and ive been round them all my life,,,remember the closer you are stood to a horse the less damage it can do with a kick they physically cant reach you,,but to be honest if you are at a riding school the horses there will be pretty sedate,,you will be fine keep going and enjoy your self
I would recommend that you help the groom in cleaning up boxes and grooming horses. There is no better way to start gaining self confidence and understanding horses’ behavior.
I discourage giving tit bits.(a horse may become irritated if the expected tit bit doesn’t appear). It really is unnecessary.
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